


Droplets

by dobuwrites



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Blowjobs, Feelings, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Porn With Plot, Sunggyu and Sungjong cameo, sexy times at the gym
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 09:06:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6747727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dobuwrites/pseuds/dobuwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all started at the gym where Howon and Woohyun go twice a week. They didn't know each other at all when they first met but the never-ending tension in the glances they'd throw at each other sparked something between them that escalated to heated make-out sessions in the showers to being official fuck-buddies.<br/>"No string attached" they had said.<br/>Woohyun is finding it harder and harder not to get attached to Howon...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Droplets

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [InfiniteRarepairFicathon2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/InfiniteRarepairFicathon2016) collection. 



> First of all I need to say that... the prompt is actually mine. I wanted it to be filled really badly and when several weeks passed without anybody claiming it I just thought "why not fill it myself?" So that's what I did. I finished writing it last weekend and it went through some corrections and very minor changes since then.
> 
> I have to thank [gyulemon](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gyulemon) for her support, [bijyu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bijyu) for being such a helpful beta and my sister for her... enthusiasm and moral support I guess? :')
> 
> oh by the way, I loved the other fill to this prompt ! I'm glad someone liked my prompt enough to give it a try and I'm really happy about the outcome ❤  
> I hope my version won't be too bad as compared to the other haha Enjoy!

  
Woohyun knows he shouldn’t stare. “ _Don’t stare at strangers like that Woohyun, it’s not polite,_ ” his mother would tell him in a hushed tone whenever she would catch him gaping at someone. Usually it would be because the person sported an “unusual” hair color, which stood out too much to be ignored by 5 years old Woohyun’s curious eyes. He was still learning, making his first steps in a world full of unwritten rules. But he is not a kid anymore, he is now perfectly aware of those rules and doesn’t openly stare at people unless in an appropriate situation—like when flirting—and this, right now, is  _not_  an appropriate situation.

He is at the gym—as every Tuesday after work—doing his last exercises for the night using the thigh abductor. It’s almost 10 which is the time he usually goes to take a shower before heading home. The man a little further on his right though, looks anything but ready to leave. He got on his treadmill a few minutes ago and has been running at a very good pace since then.

He is the only person in the room using one at the moment—the other few people here are in the free weight section—and Woohyun has been staring at the guy’s backside from the moment he saw him reach the row of treadmills until now.

Now, Woohyun usually isn’t like that, let’s give him some credit. The only reason he is there is to maintain his body in shape, mind you, he would hate to lose the muscles he gained through years of soccer training in high school and college.

So, no, he doesn’t check out the men at the gym; he doesn’t have time for that, he tells himself.

But  _damn_  that man's  _fine_. He is entirely dressed in black: black running shoes, black shorts, black shirt. Woohyun can’t see his face but he secretly hopes it’s as good as the back. He feels like he could sit there and stare at those muscled calves and backside for hours.

Just as he is having that thought, the man slows down his run. Woohyun gulps as he watches his steps coming to a stop and can’t help that spark of excitement at the prospect of seeing the other male’s face. His eyes are glued to the man’s nape as he watches him retrieve his towel. When he turns, Woohyun almost has to physically prevent himself from gaping. The man is definitely  _handsome._ He’s got a serious look on his face and his eyes roam around the room as he wipes the sweat off his neck, his strong gaze settling on… Woohyun?

 _Fuck_ , Woohyun curses inwardly. He has been openly staring at the man’s face for too long not to be noticed. He averts his eyes and realizes that somewhere during his intense staring session he had stopped doing his exercise. He grunts, angry at himself for behaving like his 5 years old self, and gets back to his workout; focusing on the piled weights in front of him, they are going up when he closes his legs and slowly going down when he opens them.

He can’t help but look up though when he hears the clanking sound of metal. The man has joined the row of chest press machines and has somehow decided it would be a good idea to torture him a little further by seating in the one right across from him.

They were less than three meters apart and the man was looking  _straight at him_  from his seat.  _The little fucker sat there on purpose._ Woohyun couldn’t help the stir of arousal running through his already heated body at that thought. The man had his lips curled in a little smirk, obviously enjoying himself. His arms keep a steady pace as he opens them outward and closes them in front of his face, his chest rising and falling in rhythm.

Woohyun feels both entranced and extremely turned-on, his erection coming to life embarrassingly fast. His grip is tight on the handle bars on both sides of his seat—his only anchors, reminding him  _where_  he is—and he can feel shivers running down his arms. The scene is strangely erotic and he knows the man is enjoying it by the way he looks at him; his eyes only leaving Woohyun’s to wander over his strained thighs—opened… closed, opened…— and visible bulge.

Woohyun feels terribly self-conscious. His movements are awfully suggestive and his now rock hard cock is starting to ache from the strain of his pants and the constant motion of his thighs. However he relishes in the hungry gaze he is getting from the man, and can’t help but feel gratified at the sight of the other male’s own erection tenting those black shorts. Woohyun looks at the man in the eye then stares pointedly at the man’s strained cock before matching his gaze again, trying to communicate his desire. The man suddenly closes his eyes, stopping his movements. He breathes shakily through his nose, brings the palm of his hand over his hard-on and rubs himself deliberately slowly, just once.

Woohyun’s eyes widen, his heartbeat sounding too loud to his own ears. He can’t do this anymore. He doesn’t want to play that game; he needs to do something, to touch himself, to touch  _that man_. He stands up from his seat, almost tripping in the process. He doesn’t know what he is doing even less what he is expecting. The man doesn’t lose anytime and gets up as well, retrieving his towel before heading to the door.

_He leads me on and now he leaves me with a throbbing boner? What the hell?_

Woohyun can feel offended for only two seconds though because once the man reaches the door he keeps it open before turning to him.

“So you’re coming or not?” he asks with an arched eyebrow and that knowing smirk back in place.

—

The odds seem to be in their favor: they manage to walk past the few people present in the locker room without attracting any attention to them (or their raging boner), to fetch their bags as quickly as they can before heading to the shower room which is—as expected for this hour of the night—entirely vacant. They rush to the nearest shower stall; hurriedly hanging their gym bags over the door hooks before locking it.

Woohyun’s hands seem to have a mind of their own as they grab the man’s shirt to take it off. They shed each other’s clothes as fast as possible and as soon as they get rid of their underwear, the man presses his lean body to Woohyun’s, backing him up against the cold tile wall and turning on the shower head.

Hot water rains over his back as he leaves open mouthed kisses over Woohyun’s neck, the latter sighing in pleasure, his hands roaming over the man’s back. He feels warm breath ghosting over his ear and gasps, his cock twitching as the man gently bites the shell of his ear.

One of his hands slides over the man’s nape to clutch at his short strands of black hair, prompting him to continue his ministrations while the other slides to the man’s backside to bring him closer, pressing their erections together and rutting against him.

It feels so  _painfully_  good.

The man slides his hand over the wet skin of Woohyun’s chest, brushing one nipple on his way down to his cock. Woohyun’s breathing gets heavier as the other takes his length in hand and starts stroking it in a steady rhythm; thumbing the slit and spreading the precum all over the head.

Woohyun throws his head back at the delicious sensation, a moan escaping his lips and his hands clenching on the man’s shoulders. The short-haired man then lets go of Woohyun’s erection, holds him by the hips, and swiftly gets down on his knees. Woohyun’s eyes widen as he looks down to see the male tilting his head to leave a trail of open mouthed kisses from the base to the head of his throbbing cock. He suddenly feels acutely aware of every sensation on his body; from the hot sprinkles of water falling on his shoulders and down his back—between his heated skin and the cold tile wall—to the strong hands on his hips and the wet tongue now flat against the underside of the shaft, licking its way upward.

He almost chokes on air when the man envelops his length, sucking the precum that leaks from the tip before diving further down. Woohyun whimpers, his orgasm building up; he plunges his hand in the man’s dark hair, careful not to press on his head; the last thing he wants is for the man to choke, he doesn’t want  _this_  to stop. He feels his balls tightening and his legs trembling.

“I- I’m going to- You can-” he chokes in-between pants. The man looks up at him through his damp fringe and keeps his lips around the head of Woohyun’s cock. Pleasure shoots through Woohyun’s body just before he comes in the man’s mouth.

His legs can barely support him and he is glad the man didn’t remove his hands from his hips; they keep him steady as he closes his eyes and leans heavily against the wall while trying to recover from his high. He feels the man shifting and when he opens his eyes they are facing each other. The black-haired man has one hand going up and down his cock in rapid strokes, trying to relieve himself. His eyes are glazed and his breathing erratic when he takes Woohyun’s hand to bring it closer to the one working on his length.

“Touch me.”

Woohyun blinks away his dizziness and works on pleasuring the male in front of him; gently pulling back the foreskin and rubbing the slicky tip with his thumb before circling the girth with his hand and stroking it. Woohyun can tell when the other male is finally about to crumble and he watches him fall forward, catching himself just in time with both hands on the wall and trapping Woohyun against his heaving chest, warm and thick liquid spurting between their bodies and on Woohyun’s hand.

—

“Could you- uh, could you pass me my shower gel, please? It’s in the side pocket of my bag” is the first thing the man says when he is done catching his breath. His eyes are still closed but he let one hand fall from the tile wall to let Woohyun move.

“Yeah, sure.” Woohyun feels a little flustered but goes to retrieve his and the man’s stuff. Now that all the tension has died down he feels  _too naked_ for comfort. It makes him feel vulnerable. Sure, he is in the shower, a place you usually go in the nude not dressed to impress, but he has actually never been in a relationship that lasted long enough for him to shower with his boyfriend.

“Thanks.”

They shower in relative silence, stealing glances at each other when they think the other one isn’t looking and taking turns under the shower head. They are wrapping themselves in their towels when Woohyun clears his throat and outstretches his hand toward the man: “I’m Nam Woohyun. I thought we could at least introduce ourselves since we’ll probably be seeing each other a lot around here.”

“I thought we already kind of introduced ourselves,” the man grins, a playful glint in his eyes, “it’s nice to meet you Woohyun, I’m Lee Howon.”

They move to the changing room. Howon, Woohyun learns, is new here. He recently moved from another city into the neighborhood to be closer to his workplace, which is why Woohyun had never seen him around before.  _I would’ve remembered that ass,_  he thinks as Howon puts on a pair of clean underwear.

“So do you always come on Tuesday nights?” Woohyun asks with feigned nonchalance.

“Don’t know yet but I might. Today was my first day actually.”

“Your first day, I see. And what do you think about it so far?”

Howon puts on his hoodie, his head disappearing and reappearing through the collar; then he looks at Woohyun and grins, displaying a set of pearly white teeth and sharp canines, “Well I think I’m gonna like it here. The regulars at my last gym club weren’t nearly as…” he pauses, looking Woohyun up and down in appraisal “ _friendly_ ” he ends with a smirk.

Woohyun sits on the bench and bends a little to tie his shoelaces. He tries to keep a straight face as he looks up at Howon, “Oh not everyone here that friendly you know. You were just lucky I was around. Don’t hesitate if you ever, uh, need  _a hand_.”

“And when exactly do we have the pleasure to see you around here? Just, you know,” he shrugs, “in case I’d need a hand.”

“On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 10,” Woohyun answers as he gets up, puts on his jacket and grabs his gym bag.

“That should work for me,” Howon says. He grabs his bag and follows Woohyun out of the room.

They make small talk on their way to the exit. Howon lives a few blocks away and has a bus to catch, he tells Woohyun, pointing to the bus stop a little further on their right. Woohyun is headed the opposite way and lives much closer so he usually goes on foot.

“I’ll be going then,” he says walking backwards so Howon can see him wiggling his eyebrows as he adds “but you know when and where to find me so I expect to see you soon?”

“Now let’s not get cocky huh?” Howon laughs. “Goodnight Woohyun!” he throws over his shoulder before walking away.

“Goodnight,” Woohyun replies back, his gaze lingering over Howon’s frame for a second before turning back.

—

Woohyun replays the night’s events multiple times in his head before falling asleep. The next morning however he remembers the load of work patiently waiting for him at the office and forgets about Howon altogether. The moment he remembers the guy is when he enters the changing room at the gym club on Thursday night.

He was kind of tired because he left work a bit later than usual tonight—though he would never miss a workout session, he actually truly enjoys it—but as he changes into his sweatpants he suddenly feels energized and impatient to see if the attractive guy would be there or not. If the man decided to come that would mean he was interested in him right? That he wouldn’t be against a repeated performance of what they did the other night? Woohyun surely hoped so. After all the guy asked him which days he usually came which could only mean one thing: either Howon wants to see Woohyun again or…he just wanted to know so that he could avoid meeting him again. Okay no, the latter sounds utterly ridiculous Woohyun decides. The guy deliberately flirted with him the other day. And they both enjoyed it. He feels confident as he picks up his towel and heads to the workout room.

He planned to do some weightlifting tonight, so he goes to the free weight section and leaves his towel on the nearest vacant bench then turns to the weight rack to pick up a pair of dumbbells. He starts by doing a few short sets of presses, warming up first, before starting longer sets. His neck keeps getting damp and every time he takes a short break he repeats the same movement, automatically reaching for his towel and wiping his neck. When he feels like he is ready to move on to heavier weights he gets up and places the dumbbells back on their rack before taking another pair. Just as he does so a voice speaks up behind him.

“Hey!”

Woohyun knows who it is even before turning toward the man. He wasn’t lying when he told the man that not everybody here is friendly. They aren’t mean either, that’s not what he meant by that; the thing is the people here would help you out if you asked them, but other than that they didn’t interact with each other much, if at all. He could count on one hand the number of regulars he had actually exchanged more than three words with. And he didn’t know any of their names either. So when he hears a friendly “Hey”, well, it could only be one person. And he is truly delighted to know the man really came.

“Hey, you’re here,” Woohyun smiles.

Howon looks like he has been working out for some time now judging by the sheen of sweat outlining his collarbones.

“You came to do some weightlifting too?” Woohyun asks, sitting on his bench. He keeps a firm grip on his dumbbells and places each one on one knee.

“Actually no, I’d rather focus on cardio tonight. I was just on a break right now and I saw you doing bench presses so I just… came to watch,” Howon shrugs, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“You were watching me?” Woohyun raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah. But I thought I shouldn’t, you know, disturb you during the effort. I could’ve startled you or something. Imagine getting crushed in the face by a dumbbell…” he makes a face at the thought.

“Wow man, how noble of you,” Woohyun scoffs. “What about you help me out now instead of ogling at me?”

“I wasn’t ogling,” Howon mutters with an eyeroll, but his ears turns a light shade of red, which doesn’t escape Woohyun. “You need me to spot you?”

“If that’s okay with you. You’ve done it before right?”

“Yeah don’t worry.” Howon steps toward one extremity of the bench and squats behind it, facing Woohyun’s back.

“I’ll do 5 sets of 6 reps.” Woohyun leans back on the bench and heaves the dumbbells up to his shoulders; Howon’s hands then come settling lightly on the outer side of his wrist.

“Okay, tell me when you’re ready.”

“Now.”

Howon grasps Woohyun’s wrist just before the latter raises the dumbbells at arm’s length above his chest. Woohyun breathes heavily through his nose then says “My weight” to let Howon know he can now loosen his hold, leaving the dumbbell’s full weight to himself. Howon’s hands stay loosely around Woohyun’s wrists though, so as to be ready in case Woohyun’s grip would falter and to prevent any incident (like being crushed in the face…).

Woohyun finishes his first set safely and gets back in a seated position for a quick break, setting the pair of dumbbells at his feet on each side of the bench then turns to face Howon who sits on the bench beside him, handing him a water bottle. Probably the man’s own bottle since it looked only half full.

“Thanks,” he says uncapping it.

“Last time you said you were willing to give me a hand but from what I’m seeing you’re the one who needs mine.” Howon seems to find that quite humorous because his eyes crinkle as he grins and Woohyun can see his white canines again. He decides he really likes Howon’s teeth.

“I’ll return the favor, don’t worry,” he answers before taking a swig of water.

“Oh, I certainly hope so.”

Woohyun shouldn’t have looked at Howon’s face. His tone alone made it pretty clear what the other man was thinking about but Woohyun made the mistake to look the man in the eye and he almost chokes as he takes in the way Howon is looking at him. Honestly, the only way for Howon to be more obvious would be with a giant placard above his head and “THIRSTY” written all over it. Woohyun is pleased by the—much wanted—interest the man has in him but he intends on finishing his sets of presses and would rather not get distracted or, worse, get a boner in the middle of it.

“Here,” he gives Howon his bottle back, “you look thirsty too.” He feels like laughing at how true those words are. “Now let’s get back to work.”

—

Woohyun finishes the rest of his sets with Howon’s help then lets him go back to his own training after thanking him. “I’ll see you later” Howon says before disappearing behind a row of machines. Woohyun does his next sets alone, like he is used to, but weirdly enough he can’t seem to focus. He keeps thinking about what Howon said earlier, or more like  _the way_  he said it. Then there’s also the way he looked at him...  A spark of excitement runs through his body at the thought. He tries to clear up his head but to no avail; the same thoughts keep dancing around in his mind: Howon is attracted to him and he is attracted to Howon; sexually that is. He would rather keep it at that. He hasn’t been very good at keeping his previous boyfriends around for more than a few months. Not that he had been in a lot of relationships, but still.

He doesn’t have enough time to be a full time boyfriend anyway. He had been overloaded with work ever since his first day at his current workplace. He likes his job though; it pays well enough and he had even been able to buy both his parents a gift with his last paycheck. He can also afford to go clubbing almost every Friday without feeling guilty about it like when he was still a broke student. Besides, he can even pay for some of Sungjong’s drinks now—when the young man decides to tag along (which is a rarity since he is a busy and studious college student)—something that always brings a smile to Sunggyu’s face because it’s also what he used to do for Woohyun when he was a newly hired salaryman and Woohyun was still a student who whined about his empty wallet every time he saw a chance of getting free drinks.

So yeah, his job also has its perks and, even if his life lacks romance, he doesn’t mind that much. He usually doesn’t go through much trouble finding a decent looking guy who would be up for a one night stand. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself, not at all; he  _needs_  to feel wanted, he loves the chase and craves the touches that will ultimately lead to sex. He never once considered one of those nights as a way to find love though; it would be the contrary as he makes it a principle not to spend the entirety of the night with a complete stranger, no matter how good in bed he had been.

—

At 10 sharp Woohyun is following Howon through the hallway leading to the changing room. There are still many people scattered around the club so they agreed to enter the shower room separately to avoid being seen entering the same stall together. Woohyun would go first and let the door slightly ajar for Howon to join him a minute later.

Woohyun can’t help a small smile from tugging at his lips as he quickly undresses while waiting for Howon to join him in the stall. This is new and exciting. The chances of them being caught are small but make the whole thing even more thrilling. He has always loved a bit of risk. That’s why he eagerly pulls Howon inside when the man finally reaches the door. Howon hastily hangs his bag on the door before turning back to Woohyun and running an appreciative gaze over his naked body.

“Impatient, aren’t we?” Howon says but doesn’t wait for Woohyun’s answer before taking his shirt and shorts off. Then he is all over Woohyun, hungrily nipping at his jawline while cupping his backside to bring their lower parts in contact. Woohyun lets a hand slide down Howon’s back toward his boxers; he pulls on the waistband of the annoying piece of clothing still covering the most interesting parts of the black-haired man, then he lets it go, smirking as it sharply slaps back against Howon’s skin. The man growls lowly and grazes his teeth along the side of Woohyun’s neck in retaliation.

“Take it off," Woohyun aims to sound annoyed but he can only moan as the man’s mouth works on a particularly sensitive spot below his ear.

“Maybe you could give me a hand?” he breathes against Woohyun’s ear, “Mine are pretty busy right now,” he adds before massaging Woohyun’s ass cheeks.

Woohyun’s patience is getting thinner—unlike his cock which is fully erect by now—so he thrusts his thumbs on both sides of Howon’s underwear and shoves it down in one abrupt motion. Howon takes a sharp intake of air as the fabric brushes roughly against his arousal, and then hastily sends the offensive piece of clothing flying behind him with one foot. Woohyun takes the man by surprise when he grabs him by the waist, spins them both and guides him under the shower head, turning it on without warning. They both shiver in pleasure as hot water pours over them. Then Howon gulps, his cock twitching in yearning as the back of Woohyun’s fingers gently brush over his balls. He watches as the hand comes settling around his shaft and is reduced to a whimpering mess after a few hard strokes from Woohyun’s skillful hand.

“Yeah, just like that,” Howon says, panting. The man seems to be getting close. He has been staring at Woohyun’s face for a few minutes now, his eyes taking in Woohyun’s serious expression. The latter looks so earnest and focused on his task, his eyebrows slightly drawn together and lips parted. Howon can’t seem to take his eyes off those beautiful and plump lips.

“How about you-” Howon breathes shakily, “How about we talk about this favor you owe me?”

Woohyun eyes are glazed over, his mind clouded with pleasure as he just started stroking his own aching member with his other hand. He doesn’t seem to catch what Howon is referring to.

“Huh?”

“You said you’d  _return the favor_ , your words not mine,” Howon smirks as he shakily brings his hand toward the other man’s face, cupping his chin and running his thumb over the plump bottom lip.

Woohyun blinks twice, both of his hands stilling before pinning Howon by the hips against the tile wall.

“You want me to blow you.”

That wasn’t a question and he doesn’t wait for a confirmation either; he sinks to his knees and takes Howon’s leaking cock into his mouth, sucking on it with a burning intensity.

Woohyun would later deny how much he lost himself in the moment, how loud his heartbeat sounded to his own ears and how fast he came in his hand, shortly following Howon’s own release. His limbs feel like jelly when he tries to get up and his mind is still buzzing pleasantly from the afterglow.

“You’re so…” Howon pauses and almost sighs. His eyes are still closed and he looks so rested and content, his mind could as well be miles from earth.

“So hot, yeah I know.” Woohyun helpfully supplies.

Howon opens his eyes at that and his hand automatically moves toward Woohyun’s face again, wiping a remnant of cum from the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah…” he breathes.

Neither of them knows who made the first move but they both lean in at the same time and feverishly explore each other’s mouths. The kiss is nothing sweet, all tongues and teeth and reddened lips. Woohyun gasps for air as Howon nibbles on his bottom lip before gently biting and pulling on it. They keep tasting and teasing each other for a long time before Woohyun remembers where they are and what he is doing. He abruptly pulls back.

Howon gives him a puzzled look, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just that, uh, it’s getting late? We should hurry up and shower.”

He only gets a cocked eyebrow as a response and it somehow manages to make him nervous to not know what the other man might be thinking; he could be mocking him for all he knows. He proceeds to go retrieve his shower gel and decides to stay with his back turned to the man for a bit so he can sort his thoughts out while cleaning himself.

“Are you acting coy right now…?” Howon’s voice sounds disbelieving.

Woohyun can only snort in response. Nam Woohyun isn’t shy. Nam Woohyun is just confused.

He turns to face the man, “I’m not being coy or anything!”, he scoffs.

“Then what are you-” he stops, his eyes slightly widening, “Are you, by any chance… falling for me?” he whispers that last part.

“What the fuck man, we’ve just met, I don’t even know you!” Woohyun exclaims, offended that someone could think his heart was so easy to win, “and I don’t do boyfriends.”

“Okay, cool then, I just thought… wait what does that even mean? You don’t want to do your boyfriend?”

“Are we talking about sex right now?”

“Yes? Answer my question.”

“I didn’t mean that I don’t want to have sex with my boyfriend, I meant that I don’t  _want_  a boyfriend.” Woohyun rolls his eyes as if Howon was just dense.

“Oh,” Howon says stretching out the  _o_  sound and nodding his head. “That’s interesting. So you don’t do boyfriends but you do other people?”

“This is getting way too personal. Why don’t you stop asking questions and use this.” Woohyun thrusts his shower gel in Howon’s chest and the latter laughs.

—

They are leaving the gym when Howon brings it up again.

“I don’t want to press or anything but you really did seem flustered earlier and it’s kinda bugging me.”

“It’s nothing, really, I told you I don’t have feelings for you. It’ just, uh,” Woohyun gnaws on his lips as he tries to find a way to explain, “I don’t kiss the people I sleep with, that’s all.”

“We didn’t sleep together,” Howon points out as if it was somewhat relevant.

“We had casual sex, it’s the same thing.”

“We didn’t have sex though,” he says thoughtfully.

“Seriously? Oral sex is still sex, you do know that right?” Woohyun feels like rubbing his temples. He can’t tell if the guy is being serious or not.

Howon chuckles, “I know that, I was just thinking that maybe we should have real sex next time. Or any time. No string attached of course. If you’d like.”

“I-” Woohyun’s mouth goes dry at Howon’s boldness. He wasn’t expecting that. “You mean like, uh, fuck-buddies?” he cringes at the term. He doesn’t really like it, it makes the whole idea sound all kinds of dirty.

“I’d say friends with benefits? Although we’re not exactly friends yet, but… we’ll get there eventually right?” Howon seems somewhat unsure; as if he was afraid Woohyun might laugh in his face or something.

Woohyun doesn’t though. That sounds like an excellent deal to him; nothing serious, just fun and pleasurable times ahead, without any of the drama and commitment that come with a romantic relationship. And he is all for that, so he agrees.

—

Unsurprisingly, Howon’s words prove to be true; both men get along incredibly well. Sometimes Woohyun doesn’t get Howon’s peculiar sense of humor but often times the man cracks up at his own joke and he finds himself laughing along at the sight, his enthusiasm somewhat contagious. Howon probably thinks his jokes are just that funny.

One thing they do have in common though is their borderline sense of competition, something that both of them explore to the fullest, be it in the gym or the showers. They don’t meet outside the gym; it isn’t a rule but neither of them ever expressed the desire to exchange number or meet somewhere else, they see each other often enough.

It’s as if Woohyun’s life had been dull and tasteless all along and suddenly turned into an exciting and spiced up routine. His job still takes most of his time but, even though he is also excited to meet-up with his friends on week-ends, going to the gym truly had turned into the highlight of his week. He feared his relationship with Howon would get awkward after a while, that they would start avoiding each other and regret ever doing something as stupid as hooking up in a public space. But they didn’t, even after more than a month. If anything their relationship only got better and stronger since they met.

There is only one thing that started recently bothering him; it is his friends’ reactions when he recently told them about Howon.

_“So you’re in a relationship… not a romantic relationship but a sexual relationship…” Sunggyu seems to still be processing the information._

_“Man, that’s nasty,” Sungjong simply says, taking a sip of his drink._

_“What’s wrong with that? You guys never said anything when I used to leave the bar with random dudes. How is that any different?”_

_Sungjong sets his glass back on the counter. “Well, the way I see it, those were just one night stands and you never met them again after that, right?” when Woohyun nods he continues, “So there were no feelings involved whatsoever whereas this thing you have with that guy is dripping with feelings, you like the guy!”_

_“I see your point, but I don’t like him in that way, he’s just a friend.”_

_Sunggyu snorts at that, “Some friendly activities you guys do.”_

_Woohyun blushes and downs his drink in a poor attempt to hide his embarrassment. His friends were just too close-minded. The concept of “friends-with-benefits” seemed to fly high above their heads._

_“Wait,” Sunggyu seems to pick up on something, “you used past tense when you talked about your one night stands. You don’t do that anymore? Is your ‘friend’ possessive or something?”_

_“No. I mean, we never discussed it but obviously we’re free to see other people if we want. I just… didn’t feel the need to see anyone else that’s all.” He is met by a two matching judging faces. “What now?”_

_Sunggyu sighs, “You’ve always been a hopeless romantic Woohyun. I’m just worried you might get hurt. You should see other people… that guy… he might even be married for all we know!” He ends, gesturing dramatically._

_“Hyung, I’m not 5, I can manage. And he doesn’t have a ring so I doubt he is married,” he mutters with an eyeroll._

_“Maybe he takes it off?” Sungjong quips in._

Woohyun had changed the subject of the conversation shortly after that. He still doesn’t think their concern was justified but he couldn’t deny that he had been more alert around Howon ever since that discussion. He started to notice some of his quirk and habits; like the fact that he always stretches his limbs even before doing something as simple as running on a treadmill; or how he always offers Woohyun his water bottle before taking a swig himself; or how he always seems to give extra attention to Woohyun’s bottom lip, licking and nibbling on it, making Woohyun weak in the knees and extremely flustered.

The thing is he still doesn’t feel entirely comfortable kissing the other man. Not because it isn’t good, but because he finds himself enjoying it a little too much, and he wishes he didn’t. Kissing has always held a deeper meaning to him than just a way to convey lust. It’s supposed to convey  _love_. He tells himself that it makes sense to kiss Howon; their relationship is all but a conventional one after all.

Even so, ever since Sunggyu voiced his worries Woohyun had been thinking about his words. There definitely is some truth in them; he  _is_  a romantic. Feeling wanted is one thing, and he thoroughly enjoys it, but feeling loved is another and he craves that too. He no longer can deny the fact that the thing going on between Howon and himself isn’t just a game but a real bond; a bond that often sees the limits between friendship and romance blurring a little. Sometime he feels like he is in the dark, tiptoeing in a sort of grey-zone between those two separate sides and afraid of misstepping into the wrong one. He is afraid of letting go, of making himself vulnerable and losing himself in the process.

He needs to get Howon out of his head, he decides. Sunggyu was right; he needs to see other people.

—

Woohyun doesn’t know why he thought it would be a good idea. He wanted to prove himself that he wasn’t into Howon. That he could fuck whoever he wanted and still feel as mindblown as he felt with the man.

_But why isn’t it working?_

He is at his apartment with a man whose name he doesn’t even remember. They didn’t talk much anyway so chances are he didn’t even mention it. They started off at the bar and when it became clear that he had a catch for the night, Woohyun offered to take things to his apartment.

And now, here he is, fucking a nameless face from behind with his mind floating miles away in a hazy cloud of incoherent thoughts. He feels pleasure running all over his body and yet his heart is only filled with longing and a nagging sense of failure. He tried, but doing this doesn’t feel as fun and exciting as it used to.

His body still reacts though and when he comes it takes him a little while to regain his senses back. He detaches himself from the man’s sweaty back then slouches on the bed. He is breathing heavily and throws one arm over his face. He feels the bed dip on his side as the man lies beside him.

“Calling another man’s name? Really? You wound me,” the man says with a light chuckle.

“...what?” Woohyun hopes this isn’t true, he feels bad enough for feeling what he already feels.

“You kept calling me Howon,” the man reveals, almost sulkily.

It takes all of his willpower not to punch the man. He feels like crying or breaking something. He takes a deep breath and gulps.

“I think you should leave…” he says quietly.

The man gives him a perplexed look but doesn’t seem to take it personally.

When he leaves, Woohyun feels the weight of what just occurred crushing over him. He feels utterly pathetic for letting his feelings for Howon grow without his consent; he didn’t sign up for any of that. He blames Howon. He blames him for messing with his heart. It seems like he doesn’t really know himself in the end if his friends saw it coming when he did not. What he needs now is some reassurance. If there is a chance Howon feels as confused as him about their relationship, then maybe they could talk it out and see where they stand after that?

_Or maybe he’ll just laugh at my face and leave my pathetic ass._

Woohyun groans in frustration. “God, I’m so fucked.”

—

 

He spends the following weeks trying to be as observant as possible around Howon. He doesn’t want his relationship with him to suffer because of whatever feelings he shouldn’t have in the first place so he wants to try and see if he stands a chance of being something more to Howon than just a friend with benefits.

He spaces out a lot lately, especially when Howon touches him in ways that don’t fail to make his heart beat faster; like after a deep and slow kiss or a lingering caress along his arm when they aren’t alone yet or, like right this moment, when Howon is draped over his back, leaving a trail of gentle pecks along his nape while they are both recovering from their high.

It feels so good and yet inside it  _burns_. Woohyun trembles and closes his eyes more tightly, his palms flat against the tile wall. Howon’s arms are around his waist so he knows he won’t fall but something inside of him is definitely falling forward toward the wrong side, beyond the grey zone of uncertainty. He is falling for Howon but doubts the man’s arms will be there to catch his heart before it crushes at his feet.

Howon doesn’t say anything as he washes himself. Woohyun isn’t stupid, he knows Howon must have noticed that something had shifted between them, mostly on Woohyun’s part. They didn’t tease each other as much lately and, if anything, Howon only got sweeter with him over the past few weeks, certainly noticing that Woohyun wasn’t as bright as usual. It warmed Woohyun’s heart, really, but it honestly didn’t help, his fall only became inevitable.

Howon keep glancing his way every now and then and Woohyun can’t stand that for another second. “Turn around I’ll wash your back,” he offers, putting his hands on Howon’s shoulders to turn him around himself.

He needs to talk to the man but at least this way he won’t have to face him, it would only make it more difficult. He tries to think of the best way of expressing his thoughts but Howon doesn’t give him the chance to put them together because he speaks up first.

“Listen Woohyun I- I would understand if you felt like this, uh,  _thing_  between us wasn’t such a good idea after all. It’s not your fault, I mean… it was my idea in the first place so it’s not like… Anyway I just wanted to say that I won’t hold a grudge. We’re cool.”

Woohyun feels at loss of words. Was that what Howon’s mind made up to explain the last few weeks? Had Woohyun been that cold for him to think he wanted to stop what they were doing? Hell, that was so far from the truth!

“That’s not what I want.”

“You can be honest with me you know. It wouldn’t change anything between us I’d still be your friend…without the benefits” he lets out a dry chuckle.

“Howon I’m not… I don’t want that. I really don’t.”

“Are you seeing someone? I mean, I know you see other people, but I mean are you  _dating_  someone?”

_What?_

Woohyun’s movements falter at that.

“What… no I’m not dating anyone… If I was I- I would never cheat!” Woohyun feels scandalized at the meaning behind Howon’s words. “Why are you asking me that?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound that way, I just thought since you seemed so…lost in your thoughts sometimes then maybe you had someone else in mind…” Howon trails off before turning his head slightly to look at Woohyun from the corner of his eye. “Do you?”

_Yes, you, idiot. You’re on my mind. All the damn time._

Woohyun holds his gaze. He is going to do it. He will answer as truthfully as he can. He has to do it.

“Yeah.” Woohyun watches as Howon turns his head back toward the wall.

“I see.”

“Do you? See other people I mean.”

“I don’t.”

“You…you don’t?” Woohyun feels both puzzled and giddy. He tries not to sound too happy as he adds, “I’m glad.”

Howon snorts and turns around, taking the washcloth from Woohyun’s hands. He looks somewhat upset. Woohyun hopes he didn’t say anything wrong; he wants to confess to the man not anger him.

“I wish I could say the same,” Howon mutters before holding Woohyun by the shoulders and turning him around, “Your turn.”

Woohyun lets Howon wash his back while thinking about his words. Did he mean the same thing Woohyun meant when he said them?  _I’m glad I’m the only one who gets to see you like this. I’m glad I’m the only one whose name you moan when you’re drunk with pleasure. I’m glad I’m the only one who makes you feel like this. I’m glad._

“You’re the only one, Howon” he says firmly.

“I’m… the what?” Howon asks, stopping his movements.

“You’re… I haven’t been seeing anyone since we… since we met.”

“But- but you- the other time you bragged about having scored more times in a month than me in 25 years! You wouldn’t shut up about it!” Howon says, sounding offended by the memory.

Woohyun doesn’t resist the urge to turn around. Howon’s eyebrows are scrunched together and his mouth is still slightly agape; overall he seems more confused than angry. Woohyun thinks he looks adorable.

“Yeah, I know, but I was talking about my past conquests,” he says, unable to keep the smugness out of his voice. He clears his throat before admitting, “To be honest I hooked up with a guy a few weeks ago and it kinda… made me realize some things. About us.”

“What things?”

“That I didn’t want to be with anyone else.” There. He said it.

“You… you’re ending what we have for that guy?”

_Lee fucking Howon, what is wrong with you?_

“Are you even listening to me?” Woohyun exclaims putting his hands firmly on Howon’s shoulders and bringing his face closer to his, “I. only. want. you.” he enunciates.

Howon’s mouth forms a perfect  _o_ and his eyes widen, his face painted with understanding. Woohyun sighs deeply.  _Finally._

Then Howon smiles, his canines showing and his eyes glinting with mischief; Woohyun dies a little at the sight.

“I’m glad,” Howon simply says still smiling.

“You- you do understand what I just said right? I don’t mind if you don’t return my feelings but I… wanted you to know.”

Howon encircles Woohyun’s body with his arms and brings him closer, burying his nose in the crook of his neck. He breathes deeply before mumbling, “I return your feelings.”

If Woohyun was the overly emotional kind of guy he would be tearing up by now but Woohyun… well, Woohyun  _is_  the emotional kind of guy so, yeah, those are indeed unshed tears in his eyes.

“Why didn’t you say anything then?” he accuses, encircling Howon’s waist with his own trembling arms.

“Until a minute ago I thought you were in love with someone else, you idiot.”

“You’re the idiot! And who says I'm in love with you?” Woohyun challenges.

“If you aren’t yet then you will be,” Howon says, kissing his neck.

Woohyun feels so appeased. Howon managed to chase all his doubts with one calming gesture. He tightens his hold around Howon’s body. He doesn’t want this moment to end just yet.

—

Woohyun and Howon have been seeing each other a lot more since that night. They had exchanged number as soon as they got back to the changing room and the first thing they texted each other was a simple “Goodnight” before going to bed. Then they upgraded to more lengthy texts, asking about each other’s day or suggesting meeting up on weekends.

They still meet up at the gym twice a week and nothing changed much as to the kind of activities they engage in there—they workout for two or less hours then head to the showers together, out of habit and out of lust—except that it takes them a lot more time now before considering heading out of the showers.

Woohyun says it’s Howon’s fault for being so obsessed with his mouth, which isn’t totally a lie, but he isn’t being honest if he doesn’t admit how emotionally charged those kisses had become since he knows Howon reciprocates his feelings. Woohyun was afraid of letting go and nervous at the thought of revealing too much of himself but now… now he pours all of his feelings and pent-up desperation into those kisses. He gives everything and Howon gives back every time.

Neither of them is comfortable with public displays of affection but it doesn’t stop them from enjoying their dates to the fullest. Ever since Woohyun introduced Howon to his favorite game center downtown, they had been coming every now and then to use the baseball batting cages. They would compete extremely seriously because the loser always has to pay for something after that. Usually it would be ice cream, coffee or a late lunch.

Today it was ice cream. Woohyun had already finished his and discarded it in a nearby trashcan but Howon is still cleaning the bottom of his cup with his little wooden spoon, determinedly licking the sparse leftover of vanilla ice cream he could gather on the tip of it. Woohyun watches him with amusement. He knows Howon has a sweet tooth but it’s always extremely endearing to watch him get so serious about food.

The sun is setting and the sky slowly leaving its eerie orange hue behind to better welcome the night. The warm spring air is turning chilly but Woohyun doesn’t want to call it a night just yet. They are still walking along the river and it would take another half an hour by subway for them to get back to their respective homes but Woohyun doesn’t want them to separate tonight. He wants to spend the night with Howon. He had been waiting for an occasion to invite him to his place but it never seemed like it was the right time. They had never been to each other’s apartment and Woohyun feels like Howon isn’t going to make the first move and invite him over anytime soon.

“You’re going to dig a hole in that if you don’t stop! Give it to me,” Woohyun chuckles and snatches the empty cup from Howon’s hands. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m not,” is Howon’s petulant answer. He gives a sad look at the wooden spoon still in his hand then drops it in the closest trashcan. “We should always buy ice cream from this place from now on, seriously that was the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life,” he says licking his lips.

“Vanilla ice cream is the best thing you’ve ever tasted in your life?” Woohyun repeats, looking appalled. “God, this is so sad. I need to take you out more often, you have horrible taste,” he ends, shaking his head in dismay.

“I must have if I’m dating you,” Howon retorts, sniggering.

Woohyun laughs and punches Howon’s arm lightly, “I was talking about food!”

“But you know I could eat you too,” Howon says, encircling Woohyun’s shoulders with one arm and leaning closer to leave a wet kiss in the crook of his neck.

Woohyun’s heart is making somersaults inside his chest. Howon rarely ever does that kind of things when they are in public, and even if there isn’t anyone nearby at the moment it still makes him giddy.

He tries to suppress his smile a little and clears his throat before mumbling, “Very smooth Howon.” The latter chuckles and kisses him another time before retreating. Woohyun turns his head toward him, “Do you want to come to my place tonight?”

Howon wouldn’t be looking any different if he had been offered a second cup of vanilla ice cream.

“Yeah, I’d love that.”

—

“You know, I think I might have some ice cream cones somewhere in my freezer.”

They are in the elevator, waiting to reach the 8th floor.

“Are you trying to lure me with ice cream right now?” Howon snorts.

“No, just thinking out loud. I know you’re after something entirely different,” Woohyun says in a flirtatious tone.

“Oh and what would that be?”

“Probably my coffee making skills,” Woohyun says nonchalantly.

“Absolutely,” Howon nods, playing along. Then he closes his eyes, “I’ve been having wet dreams from imagining how good it would feel to drink your coffee,” he adds, sighing deeply.

Woohyun laughs out loud, his shoulders shaking and his eyes crinkling. “Come here you idiot,” he says bringing Howon’s face closer to kiss him. The elevator comes to a stop way too soon though and they are forced to let go of each other.

—

“I thought you were after my coffee,” Woohyun pants, his hands caressing Howon’s nape.

Howon is currently devouring his neck; sucking and biting what he knows are his boyfriend’s most sensitive spots. “I lied,” he whispers against his skin. They haven’t moved since they took off their shoes and still are at the apartment’s entrance.

“Would you like to see the bedroom then?”

Howon stops nipping on Woohyun’s skin to press a brief kiss on his lips. “Sure.”

When they enter the room, Woohyun doesn’t waste any time; he guides Howon toward the bed, pushing him backward and crawling over him before settling on his thighs. He looks at the man beneath him then bends forward to bring his mouth closer to his boyfriend’s.

“Do you know how many times I’ve dreamt of having you just like that?”

Howon doesn’t answer but lets a shaky breath out. Woohyun feels warm hands creeping under his t-shirt, caressing his skin before tugging on the fabric, urging him to take it off. He backs away a little and complies, throwing his shirt somewhere to his right before bringing his hands to his belt, hurriedly unfastening it and unzipping his pants. Howon’s hands joins in to help him slide his pants down over his butt, although they don’t prove themselves of much use when he slides both hands under Woohyun’s boxer briefs and settles them there, kneading the flesh and pushing Woohyun forward to slide further up his body at the same time. Woohyun whines at the sensation and in annoyance, “Don’t do that, take them off me, take them  _off_ ”, he grinds down on Howon’s clothed erection to punctuate his sentence.

Howon gasps and his hands squeezes harder on Woohyun’s ass cheeks just before he sits up straight, catching Woohyun’s mouth in a bruising kiss. Then he slides Woohyun’s underwear down to his thighs. “Happy?” he whispers, his breath ghosting over Woohyun’s reddened lips.

“Just give me sec,” Woohyun mumbles, getting off Howon to stand beside the bed. He slides both his pants and underwear off clumsily before turning an impatient and lust filled eye to Howon, “Why aren’t you naked?” he says, tugging at Howon’s collar. The latter knows better than to piss off a lust driven Woohyun. He takes off his shirt and rapidly slides his shorts off his legs along with his underwear.

Woohyun looks extremely pleased. He attaches his lips to Howon’s and pushes him backward as he crawls back on the bed, hovering over him. Their chests gently brush against each other with each movement of their head, sending shivers of pleasure through both of their bodies.

Woohyun slides his knees a little higher on each side of Howon’s hips and brings his hard cock over Howon’s before grinding down. They both whimper at the delicious sensation. Woohyun is pressing himself impossibly closer to Howon, rubbing back and forth along Howon’s length and eliciting throaty moans from the man underneath him. Howon unconsciously slides his hands from Woohyun’s shoulder blades to his butt; he massages both cheeks and exhales shakily near Woohyun’s ear, “Woohyun wait I-” he chokes out a moan as a hand comes between their bodies to thumb at his leaky tip. Woohyun’s hand is carefully slicking both of their shafts with more precum.

“Don’t come just yet,” Woohyun says, peppering kissing along Howon’s jawline before retreating back to move to a sitting position, “I’ll make you feel good.” Woohyun reaches for the nightstand then comes back with lube and a condom. He settles back on Howon’s thighs and hands him the condom before pouring a small amount of lube on his fingers. Once Howon has nicely rolled the condom over his shaft Woohyun proceeds to wrap his hand around his boyfriend’s throbbing cock. He spreads the slick substance evenly all over the length while maintaining eye-contact with the shuddering man under him.

“I’m going to ride you.”

Woohyun feels heat flaring around his lower region at his own words. Howon’s warm hands come settling on his hips; his eyes are glassed over and his hair astray on the pillow.

“I can’t wait baby, come on take me in.”

Woohyun lets go of Howon’s shaft in order to slide higher on his body, supporting himself with his hands on each sides of Howon’s head. Arching his back, he drags his butt over Howon’s length and lets out a whimper as it rubs along his cleft. Then he brings one hand behind him and takes a hold of the base. Sinking backwards slowly as Howon massages and parts his cheeks.

Woohyun lets out a moan as he welcomes the familiar sensation of being filled. Howon’s hard cock brushes all the right places and he can’t wait another second before starting to rock back and forth, taking in as much as he can and letting pleasure take over his mind and body.

He brings his head slightly forward to claim Howon’s lips. The kiss isn’t really one, the constant rocking of Woohyun’s body above Howon’s only allowing them to suck, bite and breathe heavily into each other’s mouth.

Woohyun’s cock is trapped between their two bodies and dripping heavily onto Howon’s abs. The double stimulation feels too much and Woohyun is soon gasping, a welling of pressure deep within him. “I- need to- come” he pants.

Howon suddenly encircles Woohyun’s body, one arm around his rocking hips and sits up. Woohyun groans and arches his back, the change of angle overstimulating his prostate. Howon then latches his mouth to Woohyun’s collarbone, licking the beads of sweat that formed there.

“Come for me baby.”

Woohyun bounces a few more times on Howon’s lap before the tingling sensation from his lower region increases and shoots like electricity through his whole body. His muscles clenches around Howon’s length and his toes curl as he comes, his cock spurting his release in white thick ropes.

He grabs Howon’s shoulders for dear life, trying to recover his balance and feels the man stilling, coming to his own release inside of him while tightening his hold around Woohyun’s waist.

They stay like that for a long time; holding each other tightly while coming down from their high and slowing down their erratic breathing. Then Howon leans down on his back, bringing Woohyun’s body with him. Woohyun shudders as the movement makes Howon’s now soft shaft brush against his walls, then moves his hips to let it slip out of him. He places a soft kiss on Howon’s lips before detaching himself from his grip and rolling on the side to try to cool down.

He hears some shuffling by his side, probably Howon discarding the condom, then feels something soft brushing over his lower abs and looks down to see Howon wiping the come still sticking to his skin. “Thank you” he says, closing his eyes. He is exhausted and in need of a shower just like after a long workout session, except he has never felt this content and fulfilled in his life.

“We should use a bed more often,” Howon says when he is done cleaning him up. He then leans down and rests his head on Woohyun’s chest. Woohyun is certain Howon can clearly hear his heartbeat from such proximity.

“Definitely. Can’t believe it was our first time,” Woohyun sighs.

Howon barks a laugh at that, “you make it sound like our first time having sex!”

“Yeah, sorry,” Woohyun’s whole body shakes as he laughs, “I mean, it felt so different… in a very good way. And I…god, I’ve wanted to do it like that for such a long time.” he says while drawing random patterns with his fingers on Howon’s back.

“I figured that much. You looked very…hot. That was hot.”

“We should try your bed next time,” Woohyun offers, grinning.

“Yeah,” Howon murmurs and kisses Woohyun’s chest before tilting his head up to look at him.

“So… about those ice cream cones you said you have…”

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this then you most likely finished reading the whole fic, in which case, wow I have to thank you for your time ! I hope you liked it.  
> This was the first fic I've ever written so I'm really curious about your opinion about it :') Don't hesitate to drop a comment and let me know your thoughts !  
> It was a good experience for me so, I'm not really sure but I'll probably try and write more stuff in the future.


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